Game Changer
by dcj
Summary: The second she burst into his life, knocked him down, tackled him and 'tried to kiss him', the game shifted.


Just another quick one-shot. And who knows where it even came from. I actually started it a bit back and then after the first episode, I added a few details at the end. I probably should have had it out before episode 2 but it's been a busy week. Hope you like it. Thanks, Sairs J.

As always, I own nothing Rookie Blue.

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Sam Swarek didn't have any rules. Everyone knew it or at least they had been told it by one person or another, usually Sam himself.

But that wasn't completely true. It wasn't that he didn't have any rules; it was that he lived by a different set of rules – his own. And they worked for him.

He drew a line for himself; he knew what he would and wouldn't do even if no one else did. And he went through the game of life walking that fine line. Sure he balanced on it a few times but he never wavered. And he lived life by the seat of his pants. An opportunity came along and he took it. He rode it as far as it would take him and then he would turn around and look for the next opportunity… the next adventure.

And it worked for him… up until now. Well, up until her.

Andy McNally, Game Changer.

The second she burst into his life, knocked him down, tackled him and 'tried to kiss him', the game shifted. Sam's personal set of rules no longer applied… no longer fit the game.

**TO's cannot get involved with rookies.** Sure that was a department rule, but one Sam accepted readily. It would never be an issue anyway; it was easy… until she came along. But she wasn't his type… except that apparently she was, or maybe his type changed. And then it was too late… he was already falling hard.

**Always have your partner's back.** That one was understood by any and all coppers whether they worked a beat or spent hours upon hours undercover. And Sam was no exception; he lived by it, even preached about it… until he let his feelings for her get in the way. Luke had hurt her in the worst possible way and Sam couldn't see that she wasn't supporting Luke the man; she was backing Callaghan the detective. And he walked away… and she almost paid the price.

**No strings, keep it casual.** How can you jump when the next opportunity comes along if something is tying you down? You can't up and leave if something or someone is holding you back. No problem; sure he had his sister but she had accepted his restless tendencies years ago. Wife? Yeah…no. Girlfriend? He hadn't really had anyone he would call a girlfriend in quite some time. And that was okay; it worked for him. If he met someone he liked, he made sure they knew it wasn't going anywhere; it was what it was and he made sure they knew that it was nothing more than that. And he didn't feel like he was missing anything because it was always his choice… until she took that choice away. He didn't get a chance to keep it casual because it snuck up on him, she snuck up on him. Oh he did the 'it was what it was' but he forgot to give his heart the memo.

**Undercover, he is not Sam Swarek**; he is someone altogether different. He doesn't have a sister at home who worries about him; he is on his own. He does not get a warm shower and shave every day; he is street scum. He doesn't talk to anyone outside the team; he drops out of sight. If he runs into someone he knows, he keeps cover and doesn't give them a second look… until she showed up… 'if you're not doing anything in the next couple of hours maybe'… he had to say no… didn't he? But then Brennan told him to go and he couldn't say no. He was Sam Swarek and he didn't want to go back.

**Most importantly, he didn't pine after women**; they chased after him. He didn't wait for them either… until that was exactly what he found himself doing. Pining and waiting for her. He shouldn't have been surprised that she followed the rules of the suspension; he knew that about her. Andy McNally loved the rules and craved order and everyone knew it. She made plans and she stuck to them.

Except she had said it herself on that well-worn message he still had saved on his phone – 'screw the plan… let's make those three weeks count'. And the rules; hadn't she broken them to go back and see him at the Alpine? Okay, so maybe he had been surprised that she had; he thought that one beer and short conversation was going to have to tide him over for as long as it took, but apparently it wasn't enough for her either and now he couldn't get her out of his mind. One taste and rules be damned… again; he had to see her. So he called her back and again she came. She was willing to throw away the rules then. Why not now? What was so different about now?

And why couldn't he just say to hell with it? If she wasn't willing to risk everything for him, why should he wait for her? After everything that happened between them, she was willing to just walk away; so why couldn't he?

Because… because she was Andy McNally, Rule Follower and he knew that about her and he couldn't convince himself that she was truly walking away. But mostly because she wasn't just any woman; she was McNally… Andy.

And that was how he found himself on a plane to Temagami **literally** chasing after her, holding his breath, hoping against hope that maybe she might realize that he was more important than a stupid rule sent down by some damn White Shirt… and hoping like hell that she had a hotel room instead of a tent.

He flashed his badge at the front desk when they refused to give him any personal information. And now here he was, finally standing outside her room.

He knocked once.

She opened the door, surprise evident in her eyes, but there was something else too. Something he recognized from his own eyes.

He offered her a quick shrug and a small smile.

She stepped aside and motioned for him to come in.

His smile grew. Maybe he was rubbing off on her.

Andy McNally, Rule Breaker. It had a nice ring to it.

Her returning smile was a little hesitant and he could see the wheels turning in her head; after all, overthinking was her specialty.

So, okay maybe she wasn't a total convert… but at least she had let him in.

It was a start.


End file.
